In March 2002, U.S. Coal applied for a permit to mine coal on a TVA-leased tract on the Koppers Coal Reserve in Campbell and Scott County, Tennessee. The mine site is on Adkins Mountain in the New River watershed at an approximate elevation of 2,320 feet and is drained locally by Simpson Branch, a tributary of Straight Fork. This coal was leased from TVA in 2001 prior to the start of the Koppers Coal Reserve Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement and is grandfathered under all alternatives being considered.

The mine will operate for 7.3 years, extracting 2.6 million tons of coal and disturbing a total of 34 surface acres, including an existing haul road. TVA participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of OSM’s EA. After a thorough review, TVA determined that the scope, alternatives considered, and content of the OSM EA were adequate and that the proposed mining of TVA coal by U.S. Coal Inc. would not have a significant impact on the quality of the environment.